akskirmish;1719276; said:
Generally HO T5 fixtures have gaskets to seal the bulbs and electrical connections, thus avoiding the need for plexi. Glass blocks UV, which will slow growth.akskirmish;1719273;1719273 said:
With a 55 and single HO T5 bulb, CO2 would be highly recommended, otherwise he will have algae out the nose.frasertheking;1719298;1719298 said:
If the lights have the rubber gaskets, then no. I would not buy one that does not have the gaskets.AlaskaCajun;1719261;1719261 said:
You won't give your fish a tan, unless you up the tank to at least 6-8 48" HO T5 bulbs. The algae from the 5000K will grow just as fast under 6700K. Depending on the specific type of algae, this may be due to your lack of co2, you will have algae though when you have that much light, and more if you don't have co2. Finally, the plants in the middle with the thick stock are lucky bamboo, or dracaena species, which are not true aquatic, and cannot be kept submerged for long periods of time. They will rot, causing nutrient spikes. Bring the leaves out of the water to prevent this.AlaskaCajun;1719235;1719235 said:Hi, I work in Electrical Sales in Alaska. I have a 55 gallon planted tank and have been collecting the components to build a T5 HO light fixture to give it better/more light! I currently have 2 18 watt T8 bulbs that came with the aquarium!
I mocked up the fixture last night to see what I need to cut and where I need to install my remote ballast to run the lamps. Currently I have 2 standard 54 watt HO lamps in the fixture so I can see how bright it will be. They are 4100 Kelvin, so basically they are just the 841 HO's that we would install in a warehouse....
I have tried talking to several aquarium stores to find out if I need a different lamp with a different color rendering to use in my set up. But all they keep telling me is I have to decide what I want. What I want is the right light for my aquarium.... I don't want to give my fish a tan!
Several years ago I tried to substitute an aquarium lamp with a standard T12 5000 K lamp and it got green really fast. That's what I'm trying to avoid. I haven't read that I can't use the 841, but I have read that I may want to step up to a 6700 K lamp or more!
Please help me understand T5 technology as it pertains to aquariums.... Thanks!
- Clint
